followers who endeavoured to protect the
usurper in his flight.

'As these were successively routed or slain, the formidable Redgauntlet,
the mortal enemy of the House of Baliol, was within two lances' length
of the fugitive Edward Baliol, in a narrow pass, when a youth, one of
the last who attended the usurper in his flight, threw himself
between them, received the shock of the pursuer, and was unhorsed and
overthrown. The helmet rolled from his head, and the beams of the sun,
then rising over the Solway, showed Redgauntlet the features of his
disobedient son, in the livery, and wearing the cognizance, of the
usurper.

'Redgauntlet beheld his son lying before his horse's feet; but he also
saw Baliol, the usurper of the Scottish crown, still, as it seemed,
within his grasp, and separated from him only by the prostrate body of
his overthrown adherent. Without pausing to inquire whether young Edward
was wounded, he dashed his spurs into his horse, meaning to leap over
him, but was unhappily frustrated in his purpose. The steed made indeed
a bound forward, but was unable to clear the body of the youth, and
with its hind foot struck him in the forehead, as he was in the act of
rising. The blow was mortal. It is needless to add, that the pursuit was
checked, and Baliol escaped.

'Redgauntlet, ferocious as he is described, was yet overwhelmed with the
thoughts of the crime he had committed. When he returned to his castle,
it was to encounter new domestic sorrows. His wife had been prematurely
seized with the pangs of labour upon hearing the dreadful catastrophe
which had taken place. The birth of an infant boy cost her her life.
Redgauntlet sat by her corpse for more than twenty-four hours without
changing either feature or posture, so far as his terrified domestics
could observe. The Abbot of Dundrennan preached consolation to him in
vain. Douglas, who came to visit in his affliction a patriot of such
distinguished zeal, was more successful in rousing his attention. He
caused the trumpets to sound an English point of war in the courtyard,
and Redgauntlet at once sprang to his arms, and seemed restored to the
recollection which had been lost in the extent of his misery.

'From that moment, whatever he might feel inwardly, he gave way to no
outward emotion. Douglas caused his infant to be brought; but even the
iron-hearted soldiers were struck with horror to observe that, by the
mysterious law of nature, the cause of his